Eroding Freedoms

Liberals howl when accused of the “free speech for me but not for thee” mentality because it strikes at the core of their self-persona. To whit, that they are the “good guys” battling the forces of darkness (i.e. conservatives). That the opposite might be the case elicits condemnations, attacks on straw-men, general name-calling.

But to see what happens when liberals win the debate and the power, we have but to look north, as David Bernstein over at the Volokh Conspiracy notes:

The Rapid Decline of Free Speech in Canada: Quebec’s Human Rights Commission has ordered a man to pay a $1,000 fine because he referred to another man as a “fifi,” the French equivalent of “fag.” Worse yet, the comment wasn’t made to the complainant (which would at least raise red flags about an implicit threat or true harassment of the individual), but to his “traveling companion.”

According to the CBC, the “Rights Commission ruled that the term was an inappropriate way of referring to homosexuals and adds to the disgrace and lack of respect of human dignity people are entitled to.” Now, it’s obviously not nice to call someone a “fifi.” But when the State can punish individuals for “inappropriate” comments they make in private, noncommercial contexts, the slippery slope towards authoritarianism is steep indeed.

Always remember, conservatives are people who think liberals have bad ideas. Liberals are people who think conservatives are bad people.